The Time of the Resurrection and Rapture
January
16th, 2002
I THESSALONIANS
4:13 ¶ But I would not have you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him
(or
Himself) So you see it is God that is coming at this time with a shout. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming (That word is Parousia
or Presence) of the Lord (WHICH Lord? The
One True Lord God, and Paul is talking about the presence of that One Lord, the
Lord God Himself.) that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (or come
before) them which are asleep. 16 For The Lord Himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout(A message), with the voice of the archangel (That's the
resurrection), and with the trump of God(That's
the catching away): and (then) the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then (after
that), we which are alive and remain (or
have survived) shall be caught up together with them
(together with who? The living with those who had already passed away and have
rose from the dead) shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one
another with these word
This evening we are going to
examine this scene as we follow on with the Message of Who is this Melchisedec.
WHO IS THIS
MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 109 Notice again, Melchisedec went to meet Abraham before He got back
home. What a beautiful type here we have: Melchisedec meeting Abraham before he
got back home after the battle. We meet Jesus in the air before we get home.
That's right. II Thessalonians tells us that, for we meet Him in the air.
A beautiful type of Rebecca meeting Isaac in the field in the cool of the day. We
meet Him in the air; II Thessalonians tells us so: "For we which are
alive and remain shall not prevent (or hinder) those which are asleep; for the
trumpet of God shall sound; the dead in Christ shall rise first; we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the
air." Perfect, all these types... Therefore the theophany, if
you have died and entered into that theophany, what happens? The theophany
comes to the earth to pick up the redeemed body. And if you're here in the air,
you take the body to meet the theophany (There you are.), and caught up and go
to meet the Lord in the air. Who is this Melchisedec but God?
Now, let's examine this scene that he is talking about here.
#1) he says, if you are among those who have already died, then you enter first into that theophany. Then with that theophany, you come forth to get your redeemed body. if you have died and entered into that theophany, what happens? The theophany comes to the earth to pick up the redeemed body. Then once that redeemed body is joined to the Theophany, it becomes a glorified body.
#2) On the other hand, those of
us who are among the living, will get our body change and then go to that
theophany to complete the glorification process. And
if you're here in the air, you take the body to meet the theophany (There you
are.), and caught up and go to meet the Lord in the air.
UNITING TIME AND
SIGN 63-0818 123 All right. We
find that now the time comes when the Trumpet sounds, and those sleeping saints
back there that could not be made perfect without us... There's many of those,
Hebrew 11, and when they come together, they unite with the living ones.
The Church uniting with the Word, then the Church and the Word uniting
together, being come one. The dead saints with the living saints uniting
together to be one, and all going together to unite with Christ yonder for the
wedding supper of the Lamb.
Now, the first thing then is
the Appearing is right now. It has been going on for the past 69 years. One
more year and we will have 70, and I believe there is something significant
about 70 years in the bible. I believe Israel was in Babylon for 70 years if I
am not mistaken.
JEREMIAH 29:8 ¶ For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that [be] in the midst of you,
deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For
they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the
LORD. 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at
Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you
to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected
end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I
will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall
search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the
LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all
the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD;
and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried
away captive. 15 ¶ Because ye have said,
The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; 16 [Know] that thus saith the
LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people
that dwelleth in this city, [and] of your brethren that are not gone forth with
you into captivity; 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send
upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like
vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will persecute them
with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them
to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an
astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I
have driven them: 19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the
LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early
and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD. 20 Hear ye therefore
the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem
to Babylon:
ISAIAH 23:14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your
strength is laid waste. 15 ¶ And it
shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years,
according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre
sing as an harlot. 16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that
hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be
remembered. 17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that
the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit
fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
18 And her merchandise and her hire
shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her
merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently,
and for durable clothing. 24:1¶
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and
turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2 And it
shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with
his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with
the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of
usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 3 The land shall be utterly emptied,
and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. 4 The earth
mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world languisheth [and] fadeth away, the
haughty people of the earth do languish. 5 The earth also is defiled under the
inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the
ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore hath the curse devoured
the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants
of the earth are burned, and few men left.
JEREMIAH 25:11 And this whole
land shall be a desolation, [and] an astonishment; and these nations shall
serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy
years are accomplished, [that] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that
nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and
will make it perpetual desolations. 13 And I will bring upon that land all my
words which I have pronounced against it, [even] all that is written in this
book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many
nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will
recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their
own hands. 15 ¶ For thus saith the LORD
God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all
the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be
moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. 17 Then
took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom
the LORD had sent me: 18 [To wit], Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the
kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an
astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as [it is] this day; 19 Pharaoh king of
Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; 20 And all the
mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the
land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of
Ashdod, 21Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, 22 And all the kings of
Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which [are]
beyond the sea, 23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all [that are] in the utmost
corners, 24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled
people that dwell in the desert, 25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the
kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, 26 And all the kings of the
north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which
[are] upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after
them. 27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more,
because of the sword which I will send among you. 28 And it shall be, if they
refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. 29 For, lo, I begin to
bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly
unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all
the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. 30 ¶ Therefore prophesy thou against them all
these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his
voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he
shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the
inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the
earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all
flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. 32
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to
nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be
at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth:
they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung
upon the ground. 34 Howl, ye
shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves [in the ashes], ye principal of the
flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished;
and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. 35 And the shepherds shall have no
way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. 36 A voice of the cry of
the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, [shall be heard]:
for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture. 37
And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger
of the LORD. 38 He hath forsaken his
covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of
the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
Now, as you can see from
these scriptures a seventy year period was placed upon the people by the Lord
because they rejected his Voice. At the end of the seventy-year period, one
group of people would be set free or delivered, while the others who continued
in unbelief would be destroyed.
DANIEL 9:1 ¶ In the first year of Darius the son of
Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the
Chaldeans; 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the
number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet,
(So we see
it was not a vision, or a dream, or some other form of supernatural
interjection. Simply He was reading the Words of Jeremiah and saw that 70 years
were set as the time of captivity of Israel.) that
he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of
Jerusalem. 3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4 ¶ And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made
my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the
covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his
commandments;
From 1933 until now there
have come 69 years. Could it be that we also as Daniel could be seeing our
deliverance in the 70th year? I do
not have that answer, but I firmly believe as Daniel we should be
praying and fasting, and preparing for that deliverance to come. And so tonight
I would like to take the rest of the sermon and share with you things that the
Scriptures and brother Branham declare concerning the Resurrection and Rapture.
This will not in any way be a complete collection since it would take days, and
not minutes to contain all that has been said. But the quotes I will share with
you should help set an atmosphere of great anticipation that you might enter
into, and with prayer will also help you to draw closer to the Lord and become
more ready for that hour.
ZECHARIAH 7:4 Then came the
word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, 5 Speak unto all the people of the
land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and
seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me,
[even] to me? 6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat
[for yourselves], and drink [for yourselves]? 7 [Should ye] not [hear] the
words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was
inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when [men]
inhabited the south and the plain? 8
¶ And the word of the LORD
came unto Zechariah, saying, 9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute
true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10 And
oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let
none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused
to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they
should not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone,
lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent
in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the
LORD of hosts. 13 Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried, and
they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of
hosts: 14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they
knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor
returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
Now, I also believe because
the people have refused to hear what Brother Branham was sent to teach us
concerning the Doctrine of Christ, that there will come a great wrath from God upon
the earth. More on this can be found at these following message
studies on the judgments.
FIRST SEAL THE
63-0318 161-3 {301}
Notice, and when this Holy Spirit that we have, becomes
incarnate to us, the One that's in our midst now in the form of the Holy Ghost,
becomes incarnate to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, we'll crown Him King
of king...?... That's right. See?
Mother's Day 59-0510M 81 And as the light begins to spread we'll know as we're
known; we'll understand. And we'll remember our acquaintance and the ones
that's been there. And there'll be many there that we didn't even think would
be there, for you know it's at that time that I believe that the bread that we
have cast upon the human troubled waters will return to us, on that day. When
we see the effects of our testimony on people that we didn't understand their
actions towards it, will probably be there. What a day that will be! And
then the seeds that we sowed not even thinking what they would do, but here
they are. They brought forth precious fruits and we'll see them on that day.
Mother's Day 59-0510M 86 As that great light
begins to spread all - as we begin to look around, and the great circle will be
getting and greater and greater; it's all just reflecting the approach of Jesus.
And after while, as the song said, And I shall we see Jesus at last. He will be
waiting for me, Jesus so kind and true,
On His beautiful Throne, He'll welcome me Home After this day is through.
Then as we see Him...and we'll not be as we are now. We'll know how to
love Him more. We'll not stand back with a little fear, because we'll be like
Him. He'll be more of a relative to us than He is now. We'll understand Him
better, because we're so far away in the mortal bodies. Then we'll have
a body like His glorious body. We'll know how to worship Him. And when we see what the Presence of His
Being has done to us, changed us, the old back young, all the deformed
straightened out, oh, we'll understand then why His power healed us. The
questions that's been in our mind, "How can He do it? What would
this?" somehow, mysteriously, they'll all fade away. The knots that's been
tied in the back of our minds, "Will it be this? How could it be?"
somehow, or another, majestic fingers will just untangle, unravel those knots,
and it'll all fade into the one big crown of love.
Jehovah Jireh #1 - 62-0705 And then, remember, if we go before He comes, we will be
up and in His Presence, or, raised before the others are changed. "The
trumpet of the Lord shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we
which alive and remain shall be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye,
and be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the air." Look
at the order of the resurrection. See, God knows that we long to see our loved
ones. And if we got there to meet Him first, we'd be looking around to see
if mother or dad and the rest of them was there. But see how, the Holy Spirit
in His wisdom? We meet one another first, and then when we get there and
sing "Amazing Grace," that's when there's going to be a time of
worship.
When Their Eyes Were Opened - 56-0420 Soon there's something greater that this coming; it'll soon be here. It'll be marvelous then, if the Lord willing. How many ever read my last vision that's been wrote up in the magazine? Wait till you see that take place. Then this'll be minor, what the Lord's fix - you'll just keep on and on, on and on. Jesus is coming. The time of the gathering of the people is at hand, and we must look forward to great things to happen. How many read the sermon, "When Omnipotence Speaks, Miracles Happen?" Did you believe that? Certainly! Omnipotence spoke at every junction. And when the church cooled off then Omnipotence spoke; miracles takes place. And this is the junction of all junctions; this is the end time. The end of the whole history of the world is right now at hand. So you can expect Omnipotence to speak, and you can expect the greatest and mightiest miracles that's ever happened on the earth will happen in the next few years to come, Jesus tarries. It will be!
God In Simplicity - 63-0317 1M 58-5 God
just speaks and the Rapture will come. It ain't going out there and them
Angels come down and shovel out the grave and get out an old dead carcass here.
What is it? It is born of sin to begin with - but a new one made in its
likeness. If we have this, we will die again. See? Nobody can say, "The
graves will open. The dead shall walk out." That may be true, but not open
the way you say open. That's right. See? It won't be like that. It'll be a
secret, because He said He would come like a thief in the night.
He's already told us this, the Rapture, then judgments will strike
- sins, plagues, sickness, and everything. The people will cry for death to
take them from the judgment. "Lord, why is this judgment upon us when You
said that there would be a Rapture first?"
He will say, "It's already come, and you didn't know it."
God hiding Himself in simplicity. Oh, my!
All right. "It's already happened and you knew it
not." Why don't believers believe the simple signs of His coming? They're
expecting all this things that's spoke of by the Scripture, and the moon is
going to go down in the middle - the sun in the middle of the day, and there's
going to be all kinds of things... Why don't believers believe the simple signs
of His coming? They're expecting the--a--all this things that's spoke of by the
Scripture, and--and the moon's going to go down in the middle of--the sun in
the middle of the day, and there's going to be all kinds of things.
Oh, if we just had... I got the notes wrote here on it
(See?), to show what them things are, and we'll get it on the breaking of these
Seals this week anyhow. See, see? There it is, just where it's already passed
and you didn't know it. See? See if it is. If the Angel of the Lord will break
them Seals forth to us... Remember, it's sealed with them seven mysterious
thunders. See?
Now, why can't people believe the simple simplicity of a
humble bunch of people and the Voice of the signs of God? Why can't they
believe it? Just like it always been. The true Word of God being made manifest.
They're too smart and too educated to believe the simple form of the written
Word. They want to put their own interpretation to it. "It don't mean
this." "It don't mean that." It DOES mean that.
Listen. May I say this right quick now? Even the visions
that God gives here at the place, it's so misunderstood. That's the reason you
hear me on the tapes say, "Say what the tapes say. Say what the visions
say."
Hebrews Ch7 - 57-0922
359-422 And He took His dead
body from the grave on the first day of the week, and brought it up into
Heaven; and sat it there as a High Priest, as a memorial, setting there
perfect, forever. And He sent the Spirit that He tore out of that body, right
back down on the Church. And that Church will have to have the same Spirit that
was in that body, or it won't dovetail with It in the resurrection. Those two
pieces must come perfectly together; and if this church isn't perfectly (just
exactly) the same Spirit that was in Christ, you'll never go in the Rapture.
There's the everlasting covenant, brother. Seek it out
yourself, what's in your own heart. Love the Lord! Really be sure you're saved,
don't take a chance on it. You're gambling! No, you... We American people love
to gamble, but don't you gamble on That. You be sure that you're right; not
because you joined church, but because that you're truly borned again, Christ
has come to you in the person of the Holy Ghost.
Greater Than Solomon Is Here - 58- 0625 So I
pray that someday I'll see that great uniting together of all the body of Jesus
Christ coming together at one great big body; then the rapture shall come
What Is The Holy Ghost?
- 59-1216 Now, the Spirit of God has
worked under Justification under Luther, Sanctification under Wesley, the
Baptism of the Holy Ghost under Pentecost; and here It is in the last day
performing and doing the very same things that It did when It was in Christ!
What is it? The Church and Christ has become One. And as soon as They connect
together, that last link, She will go through the sky shouting. Up will come
Wesley, Luther, all the rest of them back in those days there. He that's first
will be last; he that's last will be first; and there'll come the resurrection.
Questions & Answers
- 59-1223 Just now, Brother Mercier said he got the best out of the meeting
where we explained that when that Holy Spirit came into the meeting and broke
Itself up, and God dividing Himself amongst His people... Well, that's just
what It does. And then, when God's people begins to gather back together,
there's unity, there's power. See? And whenever God's people gets together
completely, I believe the resurrection will take place then. There'll be a rapturing
time when the Holy Spirit begins to gather it up. It'll be in the minority, of
course, but there will be a great gathering.
At Thy Word, Lord -
51-0928 "One of these glorious daybreaks Jesus shall come and all
sorrow will be banished and tears wiped away. Those immortal souls that's
resting yonder in paradise shall come forth, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We
shall appear here on earth and then be caught up together to meet the Lord in
the air."
Invisible Union -
65-1125 There will come forth a resurrection day which the first will be
last, and they which are last will be first. The old prophets will come
breaking forth first, and they see that procession going marching up in the
air, and we which are alive and remain shall not hinder them which are asleep,
for the Trumpet of God shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we
will fall right in line with them going in! Hallelujah! All down through the
age of Luther, Wesley, Methodist, Presbyterian, on down to the last age who
receive the Word in their age.
Uniting Time & Sign
- 63-0818 We find that now the time
comes when the Trumpet sounds, and those sleeping saints back there that could
not be made perfect without us (there's many of those Hebrew brethren), and
when they come together, they unite with the living ones. The Church uniting
with the Word, then the Church and the Word uniting together, being come one.
The dead saints with the living saints uniting together to be one; and all
going together to unite with Christ yonder, for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
And to think
of us standing, (in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, when the world won't
know what's going on), but all of a sudden, you'll see appear before you, your
loved ones that's gone on has come to unite with you again. And we'll be
changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye; and be caught up, together, to
meet our Lord in the air.
Let's get ready
Let's get ready for this midnight cry. It's coming in a hour when you think
not. There'll be a cry, not amongst the unbelieving world; it'll be a secret.
How Can I Overcome -
63-0825 1M Sooner or later we're
going to have to give each other up. But that won't hurt the rapture now. See?
No. They come first then. Them are privileged that's gone on. They come first,
See, we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord will not hinder or
prevent those that are asleep. The trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead in
Christ shall rise first. Then when our eyes behold our loved ones, then we'll
be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, and with them shall be caught
up together.
Going Beyond The Camp -
64-0719 2E And you know, we'll be
caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Think of it! Missing people,
they can't see you no more, but you're getting together with the rest of the
group. "They which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent (or `hinder,' the word is) those which are asleep." Not dead,
no, Christians don't die. They're just taking a little rest (see?); that's all.
Oh, my! "And the trump of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall
rise first, appear to many.." And all at once you happen to stand and
look, and "Well, there's a brother..." And you know it ain't long. In
a few minutes we'll be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, and
together with them be missing on earth, caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
Questions & Answers
- 64-0823 1M Then you believe that
Jesus Christ is that Word, and that Word is made flesh now among us, fulfilling
exactly what He said He would do in this age.
Now, the first thing happens when we're resurrected ... The
ones which are a-living will just still remain ... The resurrection will set in
first, the resurrection of those that are asleep. There'll be a wakening time,
and those which are asleep in the dust now ... will be awakened first, and
they'll - these corruptible bodies will put on incorruption in the rapturing
grace of the Lord. And then we'll all get together. And when they begin to get
together, then we which are alive and remain shall be changed. These mortal
bodies will not see death, but just of a sudden, there'll be like a sweep go
over us, and you're changed. You're turned back like Abraham was, from an old
man to a young man, from an old woman to a young woman. What's this sudden
change? And after while you're traveling like a thought, and you can see those
then who are already resurrected. Oh, what a hour! Then we'll gather with them
and then be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air.
Yes, the Church will all be together, but after, after the
resurrection and the rapture has set in.
Luke 21:36 This
the third pull and is speaking the Word. It seems entirely possible for you to
speak the word and one would be completely and fully restored, placed entirely
ready for the rapture in the resurrection, the Son of man. This is so, or is it
not? And you would do this if properly pressed upon. Would you not "escape
all these things (it's got a ditto there) escape all these things and stand
before the Son of man"?
Questions & Answers -
64-0823 1M Now, my dear friend. See? Now, I think here that you got a good
statement. Yes, sir! Yes, sir! Now, that would be so. You said, "Brother
Branham..." In other words, here's what I'm... I don't think that it's...
I can... I believe I... Not polishing up what you said, but I believe I can
make it a little clearer to people. See? You are believing, because of the Spoken
Words and things like that that He said about. And all of you here witnessed
the squirrels and all these other things that's been done. But did you notice,
that was Sovereignly given! I never asked Him, "Lord, let me do this,
speak these things in like that, do these things there." I never asked Him
that. He by His own Divine will came to me and said, "You go do
this."
Questions & Answers
- 64-0823 1M The time of the rapture
will be the awakening of the dead and the get together with the living, for the
rapture to take place.
And Jesus can not come until a church, a body of believers
and the ministry that He once...?... will have to be the same as it was then
to... And then, that brings... "Them without us is not made perfect,"
Paul said, Hebrews 11. "Without us they cannot be perfected." They
must have this ministry to raise up the Lutheran, Wesleys, and all them down
through their ages.
Questions & Answers
- 64-0823 1M And then shall he send
his angels, and ... gather together his elect from the four winds, and the
utmost parts of the earth to the uttermost parts of heaven. That's talking of
the resurrection, the translation, going up. He will send forth His angels to
gather. Did you ever think what the angels are? Huh? Messengers. He will gather
them together, congregate them together (see?), bringing them, bind them
together from the utmost parts of the earth to the utmost parts of Heaven, the
Word that was been made manifest on earth. See? Get it? The Word's been spoken;
here It's manifested.
Easter Seal -
65-0410 And now, if that same Spirit
that was upon Him to be the Redeemer in that age, that we have accepted... Now,
the promise of in this last days what would take place, if you become part of
that Word, you are redeemed with Him, because the same Spirit that dwelt in
Christ is dwelling in you, quickening your life to this age. And it will also
in the end time quicken your mortal bodies, resurrect them, bring them up
again. That takes the gloom away when we look at it in that, and that's the truth.
Romans here, Paul has proved it to us. See? "If the
Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will also quicken
your mortal bodies." This is the same Spirit that raised Him up that
quickened the true believer to Eternal Life. The Spirit that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwells into the believer, quickens the believer to Eternal Life.
Rising of the Sun -
65-0418 1M 50-6And now (see?), now
you are already resurrected. When God raised Him up, He raised you; the Son is just
now on you. And now you're growing into a blossom Life like He was, to be
resurrected completely in that last day. Your potentials you have now. Why do
you know? Your soul changed, didn't it? Your body come in obedience to It,
didn't it? Into obedience to what? A Church? The Word, which is the Life. Then
you are now resurrected from the dead.
You potentially have the Earnest, the waiting. Now, when you
get the Dynamics, you have been quickened from mortal to immortality. It makes
the whole body come subject to the Word. It'll make you act different, look
different, live different; It'll just make you different.
Then (notice now, as we close; notice this) notice, it's
just like a little seed laying in the ground. Now, potentially, you are
resurrected. You're resurrected when you receive the Holy Spirit in you; you're
resurrected right then. Your body's potentially resurrected.
Questions & Answers
- 64-0823 1M Now, the Bible said
... And if you call me a prophet, I don't say I am; but if you call me that,
remember, I'm saying to you in the name of a prophet (see?) - in the name of a
prophet, the resurrection and rapture will be general all over the entire
world! No matter where you're at, when that hour comes, you'll be caught up to
meet Him! That's all! There's nothing going to stop you, no matter where you
are. And I only hope that I'm there, one of them. I just only trust and hope in
God that I'll be one of them and each one of you will be in the - in the same.
Questions & Answers
- 64-0823 1M Across the world, they
won't be gathered in one place to have things in common. But little groups of
them will be scattered all over the earth. I believe, maybe if the Lord
permits, this is a little group of It. Maybe another little group in Asia, one
down in Germany, one down somewhere else. When I seen a vision of the Bride the
other night, They was made up from the international. See? So the Bride won't
be gathered from one place, It'll be gathered from all over the world.
Letting Off the Pressure 62-0518
Can't you see we're at the end time?
It's all over. The next thing will be a sweep of getting that little group
together, and in a month or so she'll be gone - as soon as she's gathered
together. We're at the end; there's no hopes left anywhere. Run to Christ,
people!
Seven Church Ages -
54-0512 "Behold He cometh with
clouds." Now, let me stop here just a moment. Clouds doesn't mean that
He's coming on a big thunderhead as mama, bless her heart - she's sitting here
somewhere. I remember her voice, she used to set and tell me, said, He's coming
on a great big cloud, gonna raise someday and God's gonna come on. Now the Cloud that He's coming is, if we
just had the time to get this back, and get the real background and the whole
thing.
Now the Cloud He's coming in is not a cloud, like a
thunderhead, but it's a Cloud of Glory He's coming in. See? Now, when Jesus was
overshadowed by God on Mount Transfiguration, Clouds overshadowed Him and His
raiment. See? And when Elijah would come down, a cloud come down and received
him up, not a not a thunderhead, but a Cloud of Glory. His great glorious
Presence will strike the earth. He cometh in Clouds! Oh, I love that.
Clouds, there'll be wave after wave of His Glory will come
across the earth - and the resurrection of the saints shall come. That blessed
Holy Spirit that's lived in their hearts and they're dried with their corpse
laying there and the pierced veins over their cheeks and things like that and
they're placed back in the graveyard. A great wave of that same Spirit and a
sshhewww, wave after wave - He that was last will be the first. He that was
first will be last. I'm kinda see that way...that's the order of the
resurrection. I won't know nobody in the generation before me or the generation
after me. I'll know those in the generation with me. Every generation will come
successfully right as it went down.
They which were last will be first. Sure, that's me. See?
I'll know my people, the next time my dad and his people, my grandfather and
his people, on down like that, wave after wave after wave after wave. And the
saints will rise from everywhere. Won't that be wonderful, Amen. That makes the old people feel young again,
yes. Now notice closely, for I come to you in a Cloud, and every eye shall see
Him, no matter how far back they died, they'll see Him.
Go Tell - 60-0417E We got a Message to tell the world, Jesus is
alive! He is not dead! Taking heed to the Message.
I Know - 60-0417 1S And if Job by a vision could stand so
firmly upon a promise, how much more ought we to do, after Christ has raised
from the dead and become the First Fruits of those that slept, and sent back
the Holy Spirit as a seal of promise, upon us, that we too shall live.
"Because, I live, you live also!" Seeing His great Presence among us,
working, doing the same signs and wonders that He did on earth, giving us a
hope. And we come to the resurrection, and then remain on our ash heaps? Let's
get off the ash heap today, with a new vision, with a new Power, with a new
determination that we see God in His Power. We see the resurrection of the
things coming.
The Entombment -
57-0420 Our own life is just a
pattern. It's just a shadow, and not the real thing. It's the negative side. It
takes death to develop the picture, to put us back in the theophany we come
from. Then in the resurrection we come in His likeness, a resurrected body,
what a beautiful, not only beautiful but it's the real, solemn truth of God's
eternal Word, that we'll be like Him.